Carnival season in Aruba is a months long cultural celebration made up of street parties, music events, and multiple parades across the island. The final weekend brings the two main Grand Parades, held in San Nicolas and Oranjestad.
San Nicolas Grand Parade takes place on Saturday February 14 2026.
Oranjestad Grand Parade takes place on Sunday February 15 2026.
The Grand Parade in Oranjestad is the largest procession of the season and is held on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. It features music trucks, decorated floats, and participants wearing elaborate costumes covered with feathers, stones, and sequins. The parade begins in the late morning and continues for hours into the evening as it moves through the streets of the capital.
Both Grand Parades attract thousands of participants and spectators who gather along the roads to watch the procession pass. The events represent the culmination of weeks of Carnival activities that include jump ups, lighting parades, children’s parades, and musical competitions.
At the end of the final parade, the burning of King Momo takes place. King Momo is a life sized effigy representing the spirit of Carnival. The burning symbolizes the official closing of the season and the farewell to Carnival until the following year.
Carnival in Aruba has been celebrated publicly since the 1950s and has grown into one of the island’s most important cultural traditions, bringing together music, craftsmanship, and community participation each year.
